This essay criticizes remarks made by NHK Watch 9 anchor Arima in March 2020 regarding the novel pneumonia outbreak and treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. It questions the immaturity of his understanding of infection control, the media’s use of emotionally charged language such as “contaminated water,” and the broader problem of NHK’s reporting posture.

April 21, 2020
“Should we just endure it for ten days?”
Where on earth is there a proper adult who would be stupid enough to think that, regarding the infection of this novel pneumonia, we need only endure it for another ten days?
“Should we just endure it for ten days?”
Where on earth is there a proper adult who would be stupid enough to think that, regarding the infection of this novel pneumonia, we need only endure it for another ten days?
This is a republication of a chapter I sent out on March 10 under that title.
Just now, I was watching Watch 9 and was truly appalled.
Because Arima asked the expert guest commentator such a question.
Even if it was an expression of this man’s stupidity in trying to criticize the Abe administration.
Even if he simply cannot help wanting to criticize it.
Even if he tries to connect everything to criticism.
It was far too childish.
“Should we just endure it for ten days?”
Where on earth is there a proper adult who would be stupid enough to think that, regarding the infection of this novel pneumonia, we need only endure it for another ten days?
Even as I write this, this time, regarding the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, he said, “water containing radioactive substances accumulated in tanks.”
Now, with captions on the screen, he has already shouted it loudly three times since I began writing.
He does not say at all that the treated water in the tanks contains tritium below the standard level discharged from nuclear power plants around the world.
On the contrary, now he is repeatedly calling it contaminated water.
This man is not only disqualified as a person engaged in reporting.
He is a criminal.
He should be called a red criminal.
He is a disgusting pseudo-moralist, a man in whom pseudo-political correctness has put on clothes and walks around.
If it were Masayuki Takayama, he would first investigate how much money the state, or Tokyo Electric Power Company, has paid in compensation to fishermen up to now before conducting his reporting.
Nagai Kafu said, “I am not so accustomed to vice as to make justice and humanity into commodities.”
But Arima does not even realize that he is a human being completely steeped in vice.
It is only natural that the TEPCO representative, who does real work every day, firmly refuted such an Arima.
I truly feel like vomiting at the people who completely dominate Watch 9.